Hillsboro recorder., 1887-10-06
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

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During its period of growth, Indian
corn draws from the soil thirty-six
times its own weight Of water.
Microscopic air and liquid bubbles ex-
ist in many crystals of minerals, no less
than four million having been estimated
to have a place in a cube of quartz one
twcnty-ffth Of an inch square.
What is known as the "blood orange
is variety Of the fruit which is red in.
side. It is sweeter than some other va
rieties Of the orange, and is grown by
grating into the pomegranate.
The soil for house-plants should re-
ceive attention, as medical men have
found that malarial fever is propagated
among occupants of rooms containing
pots filed with nalarious earth.
Dr. Doremus says that the lghtest It's
sues can be rendered uninfammable by
dipping them in solution of phosphate
Of ammonia in water. 1t will be found
impossible to set the fabric SO treated on
fire. Ar r+~s-
. A remarkable illustration Of the en-
during character of human hair may now
be seen in the British Museum, where
has been placed wig, lately found in
temple at Thebes, which is supposed to
have been worn by an Egyptian priest
at period not less than s40O years ago.
The Chinese boast of a series of
eclipses, recorded in the annals Of the
nation, extending over period Of near
ly $500 years, all of which, they affirm,
were not only observed, but were calcu-
lated and figured in advance. The
golden age of Chinese astronomy was
from about 1857 to 49s B. G.
In Algeria there is a small stream
which the chemistry of nature has con-
verted into true ink. 1t is formed by
the union Of two rivulets, one Of which
. is very strongly impregnated with iron
while the other, meandering through
peat marsh, imbibes gallic acid, another
ingredient in the formation Of ink. Let
tiers are satisfactorily written with this
singular inky compound.
In the early gropings for knowledge
the study Of eclipses held prominent
place. Their revolution was calculated
by Calippus, the Athenian, S3e B. O..
The Egyptians said they had observed
S7s eclipses of the sun, and sS2 Of the
moon, in the period from Vulcan to Al
exander, s23 B. @. The theory Of eclip-
ses is said to have been knswn to the
Chinese before 100 B. @. The first
eclipse recorded was one of the moon,
and was accurately observed by the Chal-
deans at Babylon March 10, 721 B. c.,
at $40 p. m, according to Ptolemy.
A watch having but one wheel is stiil
in existence in France, though manu-
factured in Paris more than a hundred
years ago. This watch was presented
to the National institute in 1890, being
then in deplorable state, but under
the skilful treatment Of an expert har-
mony between the various organs was
successfully rc-established, so that it is
even now in going order The great
wheel, which gives the watch its name,
occupies the bottom Of the case and the
centre Of the plate; it has sixty teeth, its
axis carries two pinions, one Of which
receives the motive force from barrel,
and the other carries the minute work.
A well-known German architect re-
ports some facts Of intetest as indicat-
ing the radius Of the circle Of protection
Of good Lightning rods. On June II
last, in the village of Montigcn, light
ming struck pear tree thirty-threc feet
high, On one side, 115 feet away was
q school house, fifty-six feet high. On
the other side was church, 3es feet
away, having lightning rod reaching
up 154 feet, Both rods were placed and
had worked well when tested, and the
level Of the foot OF the tree was about
the same as that Of the two buildings.
II is evident, then, IL the facts have
been accurately reported, that the ra.
dius Of the circle Of protection is not
mnre fhnn tuinn fhn hninht Of thn rod